Contrasting Human Demography Trends between Hunter-Gatherers and Farmers as Response to Climate Change: Central Western Argentina as Study Case

Summary

The Late Holocene archaeological record of central western Argentina shows a mosaic of human strategies, ranging from farmers to hunter-gatherers. This presentation evaluates if differences in subsistence practices among groups in a similar biophysical environmental generated different demographic and socio ecological responses to climatic change over the last 3000 years. We use radiocarbon dates as a proxy for human population size and growth rates and 13C and 15N stable isotopes on human bone as proxy for human diet. We observe correlations between these proxies in relationship to the paleoecology of the region. We expect a stronger increase in radiocarbon frequency (SPD) in "northern farming areas" than in "southern hunter-gatherer" areas. On the other hand, a decline of radiocarbon date density will start around ca. 500 years BP in all areas but more abrupt falls could be recorded in "northern farming areas". This drop in density is discussed in relationship with LIA climatic pattern. In terms of human diet, we expect decreasing diversity as the SPD curve approaches its peak and then "collapses".

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• PAGES (Past Global Changes) PEOPLE 3000 - PalEOclimate and the PeopLing of the Earth   •
• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21702